Terms Of Electricity Generation Research Articles

Hybrid axis wind turbine profile design

Wind offers vast opportunities in terms of energy potential. Previous studies have shown that wind power can meet all the world's energy needs by using effective wind turbines. However, the efficiency of wind turbines is not at the expected level, and they are not widely used due to various reasons. In this sense, it is substantial to yield airfoils with better aerodynamic properties. Geometrically, wind turbines are divided into two types as horizontal and vertical axes. Within the scope of this study, it was aimed to design a modified airfoil including both horizontal and vertical axes properties. Accordingly, a hybrid design was made in terms of the airfoil axis obtained by the modification of the NACA4412 profile. In terms of the method of the study, the electric generation efficiency of hybrid airfoils with different inclinations was measured under constant distance and air flow. As a result of the study, it was attained that the modified airfoil curved at an angle of 30° was about 12% more efficient in terms of electricity generation than the unmodified one.

Towards sustainable electricity generation: Evaluating carbon footprint in waste-to-energy plants for environmental mitigation in Iran

The environmental impacts of municipal solid waste have become a critical issue in Iran due to rising waste generation and limited waste treatment methods. From a global warming perspective, in 2018, Iran was the seventh-highest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. An implementation should demonstrate that it is possible to estimate the environmental impact of climate change. A simple carbon footprint estimation model for waste-to-energy power plants with a life cycle assessment using the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines is presented in this study. For this purpose, first the system boundary is determined. Then, the total emissions of each part within boundary are identified in terms of total greenhouse gas emission (and expressed in mass of carbon dioxide equivalent). In conclusion, the carbon footprint of generating one kWh of electricity is estimated. The final emission of the Tehran power plant is calculated at 24.46 ktCO2eq/year. Thus, the carbon footprint is estimated to be 1351.94 g CO2eq/kWh. Key parameters that affect carbon footprint are divided into two groups: emission parameters and electricity generation parameters. The sensitivity analysis of effective parameters showed the distance travelled and weight of waste transported during waste transportation, the fossil carbon content in waste composition has the highest effect on carbon footprint. The study shows a 1.2-fold difference between the carbon footprint of two current scenarios of waste treatment: landfill and waste-to-energy plant. The life cycle emissions of landfills exceed of waste-to-energy plants, indicating that these systems can contribute significantly to addressing the current environmental challenges. Additionally, they offer advantages in terms of electricity generation.

Techno-economics and environmental sustainability of agricultural biomass-based energy potential

This paper explores the viability of utilizing agricultural biomass-based energy potential, employing mathematical, engineering, and economic modeling techniques. Moreover, the potential of a biogas-based co-digestion (CD) system, integrating its techno-economic performance and environmental sustainability in terms of electricity generation, has also been studied. In this investigation, the categorization of 25 different plant species into two groups: arable field crops (AFCs) and horticultural plants (HPs), was performed. Data was collected during the 2021‐–2022 cropping season in Bangladesh from various sources, including literature reviews, governmental, and non-governmental organizations. The findings revealed that the available agricultural biomass residues, totaling 1,02,585.75 KT, have the capacity to generate 1,33,815 million m3/year of biogas. This energy potential corresponds to 291,125.85 TJ/year or 9231.60 MW of electricity, which can fulfill 88% of the national total energy demand. In terms of levelized cost, the proposed approach is more competitive and shows a greater promise compared to other technologies. Furthermore, it demonstrates environmental friendliness by reducing CO2 emissions by 156 tons at a cost of $7/ton while earning $1092 annually from the potential carbon-credit market. This approach presents a potential solution to address Bangladesh's energy crisis. The payback period of the system ranged from 2.93 to 3.75 years, with and without the inclusion of a slurry, respectively. The recommended methods hold significant promise for meeting national energy demands. A case study was provided as a proof-of-concept (PoC) to validate the approach. This study is the first of its kind, providing valuable insights into the renewable energy potential in Bangladesh. The results will assist policymakers in formulating sustainable energy policies.

Farklı Dizi Aralığında Eğim Açısının Fotovoltaik Sistemlerin Performansina Etkisi

The optimum tilt angle for a photovoltaic (PV) system depends on the row spacing because it affects the amount of shading on the panels. This study modeled PV systems for four different panel row spacings of 2 m, 2.5 m, 3 m, and 4 m in a fixed 3000 m² area in Konya province, Turkey. For different panel row spacings, the system performances were compared using a constant tilt angle of 35°, expressed as a proper angle for PV installations at the considered location. In addition, the optimum tilt angle is found for four different cases in terms of electricity generation. In systems with 35° tilt angles at electricity were produced annually as 622.77 MWh, 566.49 MWh, 495.36 MWh, and 385.72 MWh, respectively, for panel row spacings of 2 m, 2.5 m, 3 m, and 4 m. In addition, these electricity productions are 6.19%, 4.41%, 2.56%, and 0.92% higher with optimum tilt angles as 1°, 15°, 21° and 27°. Similarly, the Performance Ratio (PR) values obtained with the optimum angles are 20.61%, 8.39%, 4.12%, and 1.44%, higher than the fixed tilt angle cases. According to the economic analysis, systems with a fixed tilt angle for these panel row spacings pay back themselves in 5.13, 4.67, 4.44, and 4.28 years, respectively, while systems at optimum angles pay back themselves in a shorter time by 5.83%, 4.26%, 2.49%, and 0.91%. Furthermore, the highest NPV/INV, IRR, and ROI values were obtained from the system with 3 m panel row spacing with the optimum tilt angle of 21° as 0.915, 20.42%, and 91.57%, respectively, which is techno economically found to be the most feasible case.

Modeling, optimization, and economic analysis of a comprehensive CCHP system with fuel cells, reverse osmosis, batteries, and hydrogen storage subsystems Powered by renewable energy sources

Renewable energy sources are gaining significant interest due to their potential to decrease pollution resulting from the utilization of fossil fuels for generating electricity that is environmentally friendly. In this study, an innovative combined cooling, heating, and power cycle that makes use of geothermal, solar, and wind energy was examined. The 100 residential units are investigated throughout the year by a number of different subsystems, including photovoltaic-thermal panel, Wind Turbine, Steam Turbines, Fuel Cells, Heat pumps, Reverse Osmosis, Electrolyzer, batteries, and a hydrogen storage tank. The model of six European cities "Marseille, Monaco, Montpellier, Naples, Perpignan and Rome" located in Italy and France was the subject of this research. Transient assessment and the response surface method were employed in this study's optimization in TRNSYS. With the help of design of experiments, a few simulation scenarios were created, and response surface method was then utilized to examine the outcomes. Based on the findings, the optimal system greatly decreased the yearly life cycle costs of the boiler, the thermal comfort rating, the overall cost of consuming electricity, and the cost of natural gas consumption. The results demonstrate that the suggested system efficiency is increased by the addition of hydrogen storage and battery, and that the employment of fuel cells and WTs stabilizes the system's power output at all times of the day and night. According to the findings, Montpellier was the best city in terms of electricity generation, cost, and natural gas usage. The total amount of energy generated by the urban system over the course of a year is 425690.937 kWh/year, of which 121217.314 kWh/year are sold to the grid and the remainder is used to power homes. The annual use of natural gas is 47547.706 m3/year, while the annual production of freshwater is 3756.07 m3/year. The findings of the optimization showed that Montpellier's system, which includes 185 solar panels and 6 wind turbines, performs better than other systems.

An integrated agent-based simulation modeling framework for sustainable production of an Agrophotovoltaic system

The Agrophtovoltaic (APV) system is an alternative for sustainable crop production, where solar power is generated via Photovoltaic (PV) modules. Since both crop production and solar power generation activities are heavily dependent on dynamic environmental conditions, it is challenging to design an APV system based on accurate estimation of its performance. To this end, this study aims to introduce an agent-based simulation (ABS) framework integrated with polynomial regression and ridge regression. In particular, two agent types are devised, as follow: (1) The photovoltaic agent calculates electricity produced via PV modules, and estimates its profits; and (2) the crop production agent calculates crop harvests underneath the PV modules, and estimates their profits. To validate the proposed framework, field experiment data with five types of crops (i.e., corn, sesame, soybean, mung bean, and red bean) at the APV system at Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services in South Korea with three different shading ratios of 21.3%, 25.6%, and 32.0% have been used. In addition, for the sustainable operation of an APV system in terms of electricity generation as well as crop production, three climate change scenarios based on the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) are considered. The proposed framework identifies that the agrophotovoltaic system with 32% sharing ratio increases up to 20% of the total profit of normal farmland. As a result, the proposed framework enables the performance of an APV system under dynamic climate conditions to be accurately estimated, so that APV system designers can utilize it to identify a profitable long-term APV system.

Bioelectricity Production from Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) Using Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus Strain nbpp1 as a Biocatalyst.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) function by using microorganisms to decompose the substrate at the anode, producing electrons and protons. These charges are then transported to the cathode, where electricity is generated. Previous studies have shown their promising probabilities for practical applications. MFCs are praised for their ability to address energy shortages and environmental pollution simultaneously. They have the potential to generate electricity directly from organic substances, reducing energy losses that occur during intermediate conversion steps. The main challenge lies in transitioning these technologies from the laboratory setting to practical systems that can be implemented on a large scale for bioenergy production along with various engineering hurdles. This study focused on investigating the power production potential of a soil-isolated bacterial strain taxonomically classified as Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus nbpp1, which is a relatively new addition to the extensive range of biocatalysts known for their ability to generate electricity. The study analyzed the electrochemical performance of an H-type MFC setup. LB broth was used as the substrate, while aluminum and graphite served as electrode materials. Other parameters, such as Coulombic efficiency, internal resistance, and electrode corrosion rate, were also measured. The MFC produced a high open circuit voltage of 1127mV and achieved a maximum power density of 6.71 mW/cm2 at a current density of 11.14mA/cm2. The MFC setup successfully powered LED lamps when connected in a joint circuit, showcasing its potential for practical applications. These findings suggest the promising high electrochemical performance of the MFC system in terms of electricity generation using the specified conditions.

Structural changes in Ukraine’s electricity generation and their impact on the reduction of CO2 emissions

The purpose of the study is to assess the state of and structural changes in Ukraine’s electricity generation and their impact on the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. For the investigation, data from the International Energy Agency and the National Power Company Ukrenergo were used. The study analyzes the trends in Ukraine CO2 emissions by economic sector, the trends in the country’s electricity generation and electricity generation capacities, the structure of electricity generation capacities by type of flexibility and presents the calculations of the integral coefficients of structural changes in the electricity generation capacities and electricity generation by type of flexibility. The study also examines how the structure of the energy sector of Ukraine has changed in terms of electricity generation. For this purpose, the structure of the Ukrainian electricity generation capacities and electricity generation by generation type is considered and the integral coefficients of structural changes in the electricity capacities and electricity production by generation type are calculated. Based on the study results, it is determined that, over the considered period, the decrease in Ukraine’s electricity generation was more significant than the decrease in its generation capacities, which has led to a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions in the country; the structural changes in the electric power industry of Ukraine were not adequate to the structural changes in the country’s economy, which has led to a shortage in flexible capacities but also resulted in the reduction of CO2 emissions due to a decline in electricity generation.

Deciphering the roles of suspended sludge and fixed sludge at electrode in microbial fuel cell accomplishing sulfide-based autotrophic denitrification

The roles of suspended sludge and fixed sludge at electrode in combined with sulfide-based autotrophic denitrification by progressively decreasing suspended sludge at a fixed nitrate concentration (50 mg/L) in microbial fuel cell (MFC) was investigated. The suspended sludge is involved in nitrate reduction and sulfate conversion; however, the contributions of fixed sludge at electrode are greater than those of suspended sludge in substrate transformations. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) analyses suggested that suspended sludge helped to improve the electron transport capacity and reduced the internal resistance. The best performance in terms of electricity generation was demonstrated with fixed sludge at electrode only. The dominant microbial genera in fixed sludge at electrode include Acidithiobacillus, Sulfurimonas, Sulfurovum and Halothiobacillus, while latter three genera are dominant in suspended sludge, with relative high abundance of denitrifying species (Thauera and Rhodobacteraceae).

A Powerful Tool for Power System Monitoring: Distributed Dynamic State Estimation Based on a Full-View Synchronized Measurement System

Modern power systems are witnessing a rapid transition with the increasing penetration of intermittent nonsynchronous renewable generation and distributed energy resources. According to the National Energy Administration, China’s installed wind and solar energy capacity accounted for 26.7% of the country’s total power generation capacity at the end of 2021. In terms of electricity generation, wind and solar energy accounted for 11.8% percent of the total electricity use that year. In the renewable energy development plan in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), China aims for renewables to meet 33% of national power consumption and for nonhydro renewables to satisfy 18%. This transition poses challenges for system operators to grasp the actual status of power systems accurately and comprehensively.

The Application of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells in Aquacultural Sediment Remediation

To successfully apply sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) in remediating aquacultural sediments and water bodies on a large scale, SMFC systems with different electrode materials (carbon fiber brush, graphite felt, and carbon fiber cloth) and structural forms were constructed, and the advantages and disadvantages of various electrodes were compared in terms of electricity generation, pollutant removal, and application cost. The results revealed that (1) introducing SMFCs accelerated the removal of pollutants from the overlying water, promoted the degradation of organic matter and the fixation of phosphorus in the sediments, and inhibited water eutrophication and algal blooms; (2) SMFC systems with carbon fiber brushes and graphite felt electrodes exhibited better electricity generation, but the smooth surface of the carbon fiber cloth was not conducive to microbial attachment, leading to a relatively low electrode power density; and (3) the low external resistance accelerated electron transfer and increased the pollutant removal rate.

Energy and economic study of the increased energy production of cascaded hydroelectric plants due to the heightening of the upstream reservoir: A case study in Cipó-Rio das Antas dam

Increased hydroelectric reserve capacity through cascade heightening is one option for increasing its overall output. Such increases are relevant to the circumstances faced by the Brazilian energy matrix, which is heavily dependent on hydroelectric dams and where many environmental restrictions may slow the construction of new dams. Thus, this article studies the increase in storage volume in a Brazilian dam and evaluates the gains in terms of electricity generation and water flow on downstream dams. A dam located on the Antas River, in Brazil, was chosen as the study area. Flow regulation capacity from the increased height was determined through multiple hydrological methods which enabled the estimation of energy gains on downstream dams. The results obtained demonstrate that, by increasing the dam height by 1 m to the upstream structure, there would be a regularized flow of 2.47 m3/s along with an increase in energy production of 3.34 GWh/y throughout the entire downstream cascade. Investments of 500,000 USD would be necessary to add an additional meter to the dam construction height, which would be paid off over a period of five years with the increase in energy production. The methodology herein presented can be replicated in other regions, thus aiding in greater efficiency and operation of hydroelectric power plants.

Analysis of The Impact of Urban Social Electricity Consumption Based on GAM Model: Empirical Evidence from China From 2010 to 2020

As China continues to be the world's largest country in terms of electricity generation, evaluating the factors affecting its urban social electricity consumption can provide a scientific basis for its energy conservation and sustainable development. Based on the data from Chinese cities from 2009 to 2019, this study uses the fixed effect model (FEM) and the generalized additive model (GAM) to establish the relationship between urban social electricity consumption and its influencing factors and the linear regression equation to compare and evaluate the prediction and fitting effects of the models. The results show that FEM and GAM can effectively evaluate various factors affecting urban social electricity consumption. However, the input variables in FEM do not fit well with the output variables, and the interpretability of GAM is better than the FEM model. The number of hospitals, Total Natural Gas, and Per Capita GRP have the highest contribution to Social electricity consumption. Per Capita GRP, the Number of Hospital and Total Natural Gas are the highest contributors to Industrial electricity consumption, Number of GAM has the highest contribution to Social electricity consumption, Industrial electricity consumption and Household electricity consumption. The fitting and prediction results of GAM for Social electricity consumption, Industrial electricity consumption and Industrial electricity consumption are better than those of FEM.

Generating More Hydroelecticity While Ensuring the Safety: Resilience Assessment Study for Bukhangang Watershed in South Korea

The recent integrated water management policy and carbon-neutral policy can be seen as a turning point that changed the major frameworks of water resource policy and energy policy in the world. Values of hydropower reservoirs, directly related to both policies, should be re-evaluated in terms of resilience. In the past, hydropower reservoirs in Korea have contributed both to flood control and to generating electricity when operating dams within the limited water level during flood seasons. Under such limited operations, the power loss would be inevitable. Therefore, in this study, the concept of resilience was introduced for application to the operation of the hydropower reservoir to minimize such power loss. Also, the framework was able to be used for evaluating power generation performance when setting the target function to the maximization of electricity sale profit. HEC-5 was used for deriving the optimal operation rule, and the scenario was established by referring to the procedure of the general multiple-reservoir operation plan in Korea. As a result of application to the proposed framework, the operation rule that produces the maximum amount of electricity sales was presented, and it was confirmed that flood control and water usage performance could additionally be evaluated. When comparing the past data with optimal operation results for the period 2006~2013, it was found that the resilient operation increased by about 19.83% in terms of electricity generation. In the near future, if various scenarios are added and economic analysis is accompanied, it will be able to judge the best economic effects and the least opportunity costs.

Investigation of carbon footprint effect of renewable power plants regarding energy production: A case study of a city in Turkey

ABSTRACT This paper presents a carbon footprint investigation of renewable power plants in a city in Turkey. With a total of 71 licensed power plants, this area is significant in terms of energy production resources such as hydroelectric, wind, solar, and lignite. As of April 2021, it has 4401.17 MW of installed power, accounting for 4.87% of Turkey’s installed power and ranked third in terms of installed power cities. This city has 18 natural gas power plants, 3 lignite power plants, 33 hydroelectric (stream), 7 hydroelectric (dam) power plants, 2 solar, 2 coal, 2 wind, 1 waste heat, and 3 biomass power plants. However, all production technologies produce CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), and emissions might be both direct and indirect. Once harmful gases are released into the atmosphere, they damage the ecosystem and all living things while also contributing to climate change. The Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Climate Agreement were signed to deal with climate change and propose a limitation on carbon emissions. Thus, countries have adopted some strategies to reduce their carbon footprint. For instance, Turkey is aiming to increase the share of domestic and renewable energy in electricity generation to reduce GHG emissions by up to 21% between 2020–2030. In this study, a carbon footprint effect analysis was carried out during electricity generation in a city with abundant renewable energy potential. According to the findings, it was determined that the renewable power plants successfully reduced the carbon footprint of the area as 3,500,794 tons CO2, 3,024,120 tons CO2, and 1,073,039 tons CO2 for 2019, 2020, and 2021 (end of April), respectively. Implications: The main aim of this study is to investigate a carbon footprint effect during electricity generation in a region (Kahramanmaraş, Turkey) with abundant renewable energy potential in terms of electricity generation. This area is significant in terms of energy production resources including hydroelectric, wind, solar, and lignite, with a total of 71 licensed power plants. The key contributions of this research study are: (1) The study of carbon footprint savings based on the electricity generation of this city was carried out for the first time in the literature. (2) While generating electricity with renewable energy sources, it has been determined that an average of 3,500,794 tons CO2, 3,024,120 tons CO2, and 1,073,039 tons CO2 carbon footprint savings were accomplished for 2019, 2020, and 2021 (end of April), respectively. (3) This study demonstrated that a city with abundant lignite potential emits a high amount of carbon footprint into the atmosphere while producing energy. By using lignite, 4,462,045 tons CO2, 3,952,348 tons CO2, and 1,140,975 tons CO2 were emitted for 2019, 2020, and 2021 (end of April), respectively. (4) The study includes encouraging research on renewable energy investment in accordance with the Kyoto Protocols and the Paris Agreement for local governments and investors. (5) The study sheds light on the distance Turkey has covered on the way to the 2030 targets in the fight against cli-mate change, regionally

Techno-economic analysis of a solar tower CSP Plant with thermal energy storage in southern Honduras

For many years, solar thermal energy has been relegated to second place to photovoltaic solar energy in terms of electricity generation. At the end of the 1980s, an alternative to solar photovoltaic plants emerged, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology. This type of technology presents a commercial option for grid-connected solar plants for the utility market due to its high performance and efficiency in energy conversion, as well as its clean generation of electricity without greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, in Honduras the use of solar thermal energy is reduced to heating processes and product sanitation in the industrial sector, wasting the country’s great solar thermal potential. This document focuses on the evaluation of a Solar Tower CSP plant with 10 hours thermal storage in the southern area of Honduras, analyzing the departments of Valle and Choluteca. The methodology used for this research is a quantitative approach based on collecting meteorological data of the solar resource in the area and costs associated with the plant, this to test a hypothesis. This evaluation was carried out from a technical, economic and environmental point of view. The research managed to determine values of Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and project recovery period for the different scenarios presented in the two departments analyzed. Putting all the results together, it was found that the department of Valle has the lowest LCOE compared to the department of Choluteca. Likewise, the values of NPV, IRR and recovery period determine that the project is more profitable in the department of Valle.

Polydopamine inspired dual-functional templates to prepare photoanode with enhanced photoelectrochemical activity

In this work, we propose polydopamine inspired dual-functional template in the form of microspheres to prepare the TiO2 photoanode for a photocatalytic fuel cell. This new type template can not only ensure easy control of porous structure, which enhances mass transport and light scattering, but also enable nitrogen doping into TiO2 for visible-light response, which increases solar utilization. Because of these merits, the photoanode prepared by using this polydopamine inspired dual-functional template yields better photoelectrochemical activity. The newly-developed photoanode is also evaluated by incorporating it into a photocatalytic fuel cell in terms of electricity generation. Experimental results further confirm that the photocatalytic fuel cell with the photoanode prepared by using the polydopamine microspheres shows superior performance than does the one with conventional TiO2 photoanode. Effects of the size of polydopamine microspheres and its ratio to TiO2 are also studied. It is shown that the photoanode prepared by using 220-nm polydopamine microspheres at a ratio of 1:5 exhibits optimal performance. This study provides a new route to prepare high-performance photoanode.

Design and simulation of solar roof-top projects for an energy self-reliant university campus

A University campus becoming self-reliant in terms of electricity generation is always important. The power requirement of a University campus is mainly for its academic blocks for different departments. The laboratories, libraries, and hostel facilities also require continuous power needs. Conventionally, the electricity needs are met utilizing the power received from the local utility and the University will be paying for it based on the tariff fixed by the local regulators and agreed by the utility. It is proposed to install Solar Roof-top PV power plants in shade-free rooftops of the buildings inside a University campus to offset the University’s electricity needs and to make the University self-reliant in terms of electricity generation and consumption. This integrated and comprehensive solar project is intended to reduce the carbon footprint of the University and aiming for a carbon-neutral campus. Detailed feasibility studies have been conducted for installing solar roof-top power plants in the selected building roof-tops of the University. Based on the feasibility study, design and simulation have been carried out for a total 1.6MWp capacity of solar roof-top projects to completely offset the total electricity needs of the University based on the current electricity consumption patterns. The design and simulation are accomplished utilizing PVsyst software and the economic and environmental analysis has been carried out utilizing RETscreen software for arriving at the results.

Design of tidal range energy generation schemes using a Genetic Algorithm model

One of the key aspects of Tidal Range Schemes globally is identifying the most appropriate site and the optimised design and operation of the scheme, to maximise societal needs and the benefits from electricity generation. Variations in the design parameters of Tidal Range Schemes for electricity generation could therefore lead to a very large number of design and operation scenarios. In this study, a novel Genetic Algorithm model was developed to deliver the complete design of the most optimised Tidal Range Schemes for electricity generation, including the number of turbines, sluicing areas and the maximum amount of electricity that could be generated, through identifying the most optimised operation scheme for a particular site. The Genetic Algorithm model has been used to design a new Tidal Range Scheme proposed for development in the Bristol Channel, UK, with a potential to generate about 7.16 TWh/yr. The design of the scheme was also investigated using a traditional grid search approach for a range of scenarios, together with the model being used to investigate the performance of the complete design of the scheme, evaluated through a comparison of the most optimised design in terms of electricity generation. This comparison has shown that the Genetic Algorithm model was capable of achieving largely the same outcomes and reducing the computational time by approximately 95% to that based on using traditional Grid Search methods.

Improving transient performance of thermoelectric generator by integrating phase change material

Thermoelectric generator (TEG) based on Seebeck effect, which is well regarded as an effective way for waste heat recovery, has stepped into vision of automotive researchers in the past decades in terms of electricity generation from vehicle exhaust gases. Various driving conditions of the vehicles and fluctuating temperature of the exhaust gases are crucial factors that obstruct the development of automotive TEG. In this study, a novel concept of integrating phase change material (PCM) with TEG for improving transient performance and total efficiency is presented. PCM, as a commonly utilized material for thermal energy storage, reduces the impact of exhaust gas temperature fluctuations on the automotive TEG, thereby improving the efficiency under various driving conditions. According to the thermal properties of the exhaust gases, Pentaerythritol (PE) is selected as the appropriate PCM for the automotive TEG, because of the suitable temperature range for phase transition and extremely low rate of volume change during the phase transition (due to its solid-solid phase change). Experiments are conducted to explore the feasibility of PE integrating with TEG and the capability of improving transient performance of TEG. Results showed that the improvement of open circuit voltage and power output are 0.7% and 1.16%, respectively. The present study provided a guideline for the design and further research of PCM integrated automotive TEG.